Antiandrogen
Acne.org’s Real World Take
“Spiro” has been shown to work in a real and noticeable way most of the time. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution.
Antiandrogen
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Spironolactone? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
December 18, 2012
Cons:
Doesn't get rid of all acne
v-e-r-y-y-y-s-l-o-o-o-o-w process
bad initial breakout that lasted several months
This medicine saved me. I struggled on and off with mild acne until about 22 when the hormonal acne really got out of control. I was miserable and wanted to hide and couldn't tell anyone how I felt because I was too embarrassed... Other people didn't realize how bad it was (or that's what they said) because I got so good at doing my makeup and they couldn't feel the physical and emotional pain I was in. It sounds dramatic-- But true.
I started taking this in late January 2011. It is now almost 11 months later and I haven't had a cystic pimple in months (knock on wood!) and my skin continues to break out less and less every month. I broke out very badly for a few months after I started taking it (100mg), so PLEASE BE PATIENT. After a few months I bumped it up to 150. I had this glorious image of myself on the beach that summer with flawless skin sans makeup... false. It is a bit irritating though because I do still have some of the deep little clogs and bumps and enlarged pores, but nothing compared to before. Hopefully this medicine will continue to reveal it's slow results! It didn't happen over night, or in a few weeks, or even a few months. I know some people say it does for them, and I hope it does for you too, but just remember it may take time but it is worth it. I didn't notice many side effects but make sure to stay hydrated, be careful when you are drinking alcohol, etc, and don't forget to take it for more than a day or so. I just fear the day my dermatologist tells me to stop taking it. I plan on being on this medicine for as long as possible.
December 6, 2012
Pros:
Makes skin less oily everywhere
Hair less oily
Inexpensive with insurance
Doesn't dry or irritate skin
Cons:
Need to pee and rehydrate constantly
Initial episodes of low blood pressure and dizziness as body got used to the drug
I had taken bcp for many years until I had to come off of them due to a blood clot. My skin was beautiful on yaz so the dermatologist recommended I try spiro. Started with 25mg/d x 1 mo, then 50, and finally to 100 mg daily. Started seeing a difference at 50 mg. Face, back, scalp, and neck cleared up. Still get a random breakout here and there but nothing like before. Spiro has given me back my confidence. Highly recommend for hormonal acne.
November 25, 2012
Pros:
clear skin, no more pimples
Cons:
it takes a few weeks (maybe a month or more) to work
I'm 40 years old and have battled with acne on and off since I was 18. The only 2 times in my life I had beautiful perfect glowing skin was during my 2 pregnancies and for some period after. I was on tetracyclines (on and off) for many years but I guess my body became immune to it wasn't as effective as before. I was sick and tired of antibiotics, which was the only thing my dermatologist offered other than the topical creams. I suggested tetracycline (after doing some research) but she refused because she couldn't check my liver functions. Thank God my PCP was open-minded and prescribed spirolactone 25 mg at first (didn't work) and then 50 mg. It's been almost a year and I couldn't be happier, my skin has been clear for months!! If you suspect your acne is hormonal give spirolactone a try. I've had blood work done 3 times and I have no problems. I'm finally acne free.
November 14, 2012
Pros:
CLEARER SKIN!
Got rid of existing acne
Its a pill so i just take it with my multivitamin (maybe just a pro for me)
Worked Quickly
No real side effects from pill
Cons:
A little drying
I've only been on it for a month, but my acne has gotten sooo much better. I take a 50mg pill 2x daily with the antibiotic Doxycycline (also 2xdaily). These two pills together have gotten my skin so much clearer in a month than I ever thought was possible. I live at the beach so in the summer Im in the salt water everyday and my skin is awesome. I dont need makeup and its great, but as soon as summer is over and im not in the sun and water anymore my skin goes crazy with cystic acne. Its been like this since I was 16 and am now 22. Anyway in the past 6 months my skin has gone from the best its ever been to the worst and now to pretty good again. Im very excited to continue taking it because the dermatologist says i will see full affects at 3 months. I hope that this pill will enable me to have clear skin all year.
November 10, 2012
Pros:
Cheap
Decreases oil production
Cons:
Side effects
Frequent Urination
Slight headache
Joint tenderness
This is my second attemp using this drug. I first tried it 3 months ago. My dose was 75 mg, two pills in the am and 1 in the pm. After the second day I was suffering from a headache and literally had to pee every 20 mins. I could not sleep. So after the 3rd day, I gave up.
My derm talked me into trying it one more time. This time I started taking half of a 25mg pill for the first 3 days. No problems with that except some more urination. Can feel a headache coming on if I don't drink enough water. Then I went to a full pill. No problems with this except some tenderness behind my knees. Tomorrow I will be going to 1.5 pills.
As far as my skin goes, I do see less oil production, my eye makeup is staying in place longer. I am having a breakout in places I don't normally get pimples like my upper lip and forehead. They are slightly nodular. My hair is slightly more dry. Over all I do see a slightly healthier appearance of my skin that I cannot explain. I also use 302 skincare. It is all natural. I will review this drug again in about 1 month or so. Hopefully I will be at 75 mg and getting some real improvement. I'm 33 years old and have been dealing with this acne for three years. It is time for this acne to go away.
November 6, 2012
Pros:
Helped to prevent acne
Lighter or non-existent periods
Cons:
Causes birth defects!
Dehydrating
Makes your pee smell/look funny
Affects your fertility and cycle
This was recommended to me by a doctor in South Carolina after I used Accutane, Birth Control, and every prescription cream on the market. It really helped with the acne, especially the cystic stuff. However, it wasn't until I moved with a new doctor that I found out it causes sever birth defects if you get pregnant while on it. I was told that it levels out hormone fluctuations. This was a big problem for me as I do not take birth control. After deciding to do natural family planning (Creighton method), it became even more clear to me how bad it is for your body to alter your hormone fluctuations throughout the month. It took me several months (almost 6) to gain back normal fertility after I went off this medication. Note: that does not mean you are infertile, my cycle just wasn't normal and predictable.
I am also an active runner, constantly training for marathons or half -marathons and I found this medication too dehydrating while I am training. More than any other medication I've been on.
Finally, when I moved to Nebraska, the doctor took me off the medication right away because it's bad to be on for long periods of time because of the damage it can do to your body. I wish the first doctor had told me all of the side effects.
October 31, 2012
Pros:
-COMPLETELY clear skin besides just the occasional pimple (for a severe acne sufferer, this is GREAT)
-face/hair never oily (decreased oil production)
Cons:
-slow-acting
-need to drink more water
-can make me lightheaded/dizzy at times
-cannot miss doses or will breakout
-overall very minor/unnoticeable side effects
SPIRONOLACTONE HAS WORKED WONDERS FOR ME! Ladies, I cannot stress this enough, SPIRO IS A VERY SLOW-ACTING DRUG! Many women go on spiro, take it for 3 or so months (even up to 6), claim it's not working then switch. IT TAKES LONGER THAN THAT FOR MOST PEOPLE! I have suffered from SEVERE acne since I was 15 and this is the only thing that has cleared me besides accutane which I have taken 3 times (trust me, I have tried everything you can think of at the direction of my derm). If you have tried accutane and the effects haven't been permanent, TRY SPIRONOLACTONE! I have been on it for about a year now and honestly, I can just say that within the past couple months it has totally cleared my skin! BE PATIENT, give it AT THE VERY LEAST 6 MONTHS before deciding there are no effects. For me, it took even longer than this but IT WORKS I promise for severe cystic acne. I also take Microgestin Fe 1/20 birth control pill daily, unsure if this adds to the effect, and treat with Neutrogena On-The-Spot 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream both am/pm. The combo of this has given me perfectly clear skin (thanks to the spiro as I've always done those other things). ALSO IMPORTANT: You MUST take a dosage of 100mg or higher. I know many derms prescribe less, and perhaps that works for minor or moderate acne even, but if you suffer from moderate to severe acne you must take more than 100 mg. My derm has stressed this as well, he starts ANYONE on atleast 100mg even if not severe acne. I take 200mg daily. I have a friend who has only very slight to moderate acne and ALSO takes 200mg daily. We both have clear skin. I have a friend who takes only 100mg daily and still has a few pimples at any given time. Take that as you will. So, in conclusion, SPIRONOLACTONE WORKS. It is very slow-acting, do not give up on it until you have taken it for 6 months or more. Also, you need to take a high dose, 100mg/day or more especially if you have severe a
October 27, 2012
Pros:
- After the initial breakout (lasted about 4-6 weeks), skin cleared tremendously and my skin finally began to heal itself
Cons:
- BAD INITIAL BREAKOUT
- I was instructed to watch my potassium levels; I got blood work done once and everything was fine and I haven't checked it since - I just tried to monitor what I ate and chose options low on the potassium scale
Here's a bit of background information about my skin: I started to get little breakouts at a young age but my main problem was just tiny pimples and redness. Entering high school I cleaned up my diet and my face was clear and glowing. Throughout high school my skin was on and off until my final year when I got HORRIBLE breakouts. At this point I went to a clinic and was put on birth control, antibiotics and I began to do skin peels. My skin cleared once again! At the beginning of university I went off of birth control and antibiotics and I continued to have little breakouts here and there but nothing too serious... until my last year (again!) It must have been due to stress because my skin went wild! I had painful cystic acne along my jawline and on my cheeks. It came on so fast. I refrained from "picking" at my face to see if things changed but the acne would not go away. I went back to the same clinic and the Doctor told me he thought it was stress and hormones (vs. bacterial causes) and told me he wanted me to try spironolactone. I agreed because at this point my acne was ruining my face and my self-esteem. That night I got my prescription filled and came on Acne.org to read reviews. The main comment I got was that this product worked but patience was needed due to the initial breakout. I remember in my mind thinking "this 'initial breakout' cant be too bad". I really didn't think my face could get worse. Unfortunately, it could and IT DID. The only thing that got me through the first 4-6 weeks was reading all of the comments on the site and constantly reminding myself that I just needed to wait it out. I'm so glad I did because I'm so happy with my skin right now. I don't know how long I'm going to take spironolactone for or how my skin is going to react in the future on and off this medication but I wanted to come on here and write a review to help someone who is thinking about taking or already
October 26, 2012
Pros:
No more cystic acne, period.
Healthy glowing skin.
Hair on my head grows faster and falls out less.
Inexpensive.
Cons:
A lot more urinating.
little peeling and dryness.
I've been on spironolactone for a month now, and I definitely see a difference. My dermatologist put me on a regimen of 100 mg a day, I use Aczone every morning and night and tretinoin every other night. It's only been a month and my face is almost clear. Literally, the only marks on my face are from old scars which are starting to fade as well. It may be different for everyone, but I did NOT have an initial breakout, my face started clearing up instantly. I'm getting my confidence back and I feel great! I recommend this regimen to any female dealing with acne! Before I tried every acne care system, Proactiv, Exposed, Murad, etc. Nothing helped, and Proactiv made it even worse. Take my advice and don't waste your money!
October 22, 2012
Pros:
clear skin
inexpensive
easy to take
initial side effects went away after a couple of months
increased self esteem and confidence
Cons:
initial bad breakout
initial temporary headaches
initial temporary dizziness
takes a long time to work
cant take nsaids( advil, aleve)
have to watch potassium intake and get bloodwork done every 6 months to monitor this
I am 37 and have struggled with acne since age 13. I have tried everything and spent thousands of dollars searching for a cure and finally found it after suffering for over 2 decades!
At age 21 I went on my first round of accutane which cleared me for several years. when I had my daughter at age 24, my acne came back. I have since tried accutane 3 more times on the heaviest dose allowable and up to 8 month treatment periods and it would come back within 3 months of stopping treatment. Horrible side effects from accutane including a chronic sore in my nose that wont heal from mucous membranes drying so severely.I would never go on accutane ever again.
It ablsolutely amazes me that no dermatologist or doctor or endocrinologist that ive seen over the years suggested spiro- i had to request it after reading reviews on here. I had a bad initial breakout that lasted a couple of months. I started on 75 mg /day. I had an almost constant low grade headache the first 2 weeks that went away. After the first month i started to experience some severe dizziness that really scared me. I stopped taking spiro for 1 week and then resumed to 25 mg/day for 2 weeks, then upped it to 50mg/day. It took almost 2 months for the dizziness to completely go away, but it hasn't returned.Its now been over 6 months and my face is almost completely clear!!! i get the odd little pimple now and then, but nothing even close to the pizza face i looked like before. It takes so much less time to get ready for the day- i dont have to wear a ton of makeup and try to cover it all. I have done numerous expensive treatments over the years( lazers, pdt, blue light ala treatments, chemical peels, tazorac, antibiotics, topicals, many over the counter cleansers and acne treatments, proactive,diet changes) this may not be for everyone, but it changed my life! it was free with my insurance coverage. I do have some melasma & hyperpigmentation, but i do a "skin culture peel 4000" once a year to clear that
Pros:
Stops acne, mostly the cystic ones, at the root of the problem- hormones.